California Highway Patrol reported a crash that occurred on July 31 led to two deaths after a Kia sedan was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer. The truck driver, a 48-year-old man from Los Angeles, was operating a Kenworth truck when crashed into the back of the stopped car at Manning Avenue’s intersection with Fowler Avenue. The car struck a utility pole after being pushed through the intersection by the truck.
The Los Angeles man fled the scene of the accident in the semi-truck and hit another tractor-trailer while driving east on Manning. After hitting the second vehicle, he continued driving the truck for about a mile before abandoning it and attempting to flee on foot. He was caught by troopers shortly after exiting the semitrailer and charged with driving under the influence, vehicular manslaughter and hit and run. The news source did not mention his blood alcohol content or how it was measured.
The driver of the Kia, a 34-year-old woman, and a 61-year-old passenger in the car were taken to Community Regional Medical Center. The decedents were also passengers in the Kia. Both truck drivers were also hospitalized at CRMC.
The families of people killed in fatal motor vehicle accidents have the option of filing wrongful death claims against the parties they believe were responsible for those incidents. Attorneys retained by those families for such litigation would seek to convince the juries in their respective trials that the defendants’ negligence contributed to the accidents in question. Criminal charges against defendants can often be used as evidence of negligence per se in subsequent civil trials.
Source: Fresno Bee, “Big rig driver faces manslaughter charges in double fatal DUI crash near Fowler “, Jim Guy, August 01, 2014